Potato-digger.



No. 765,584; PATENTED JULY 19, 1904.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION IILED MAR. 19. 1904. N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-811E311- INVENTOR -.N0. 765,584. P-ATBNTED JULYV19, 1904.

H. E. LORD.

.- POTATO BIGGER.

- APPLIOATI OH FILED HA3. 19. 1904. I N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET .2.

[NI/ENTOR WITNESS S.-

No. 765,584. PATENTED JULY 19, 1904.. H. E. LORD.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 19. 1904. N0 MODEL. 4 SHEBTS-SHBIIT 3.

[NI/EN TOR 4. PATENTED JULY 19 1904. N0 765,58 H. E LORD.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLIUATION FILED M AR. 19. 1904.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-*SHBBT 4.

Patented July 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM E. LORD, OF CLAYTON,- MICHIGAN.

POTATO-BIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,584, dated. July 19, 1904,

Application filed March 19, 1904.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM E. LORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clayton, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the machine. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of portions of the grates and mechanism for operating the same.

Referring to the drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, A represents the main frame of the machine, which is supported upon the axles B B, to which are attached the supporting-Wheels G C C C in the manner usual in constructing wheeled vehicles, the front axle being pivoted to the frame A to enable the machine to be steered and provided with a tongue or other suitable draft appliances by means of which it maybe drawn by horses or other suitable means.

The frame A is provided with a verticallyadjustable digger-frame D, which is preferably located at one side of the machine and is pivoted at its rear end and capable of being raised or lowered at its front'end. In the present instance the digger-frame consists of two supportingside bars or rails pivoted at their rear ends upon a transverse shaft E, supported in suitable bearings e e above'and adjacent to the rear of the main frame, the

' digger-frame being provided with bearings obvious, however, that the digger-frame could Serial No. 199,008. (No model.)

be pivoted in other ways. The digger-frame extends in an inclined direction downward through the main frame A to the front part of the machine, where it is provided with a triangular or pointed scoop-plow F. A handlever G is mounted upon the frame A adjacent to the drivers seat and connected by links g with the front end of the digger-frame D to enable the latter to be raised and lowered, and said lever is provided with the usual pawl g and segment 9 to permit of the vertical adjustment of the digger-frame.

Within the digger-frame D are two grates D and D formed of longitudinally-disposed bars suitably spaced and connected, said grates being arranged, preferably, end to end, with the adjacent ends of their grate-bars overlapping adjacent to the center of the frame D. Devices are provided for the purpose of jarring these grates vertically, and in this instance I have shown the overlapping portions of the two grates supported by a horizontal bar (Z, extending transvervsely across the diggerframe and having its ends provided with upwardly-extending arms (5, provided with lugs or projections a".

H represents a transverse shaft supported in bearings h It, mounted on frame A, and provided with the tappets or tappet-wheels h to engage the projections (F. The tappets raise the supporting-bar (Z, thus raising the adjacent ends of the grates, and they drop it until the lugs d engage the next tappet, thus permitting the grates to fall with a sharp jolt vforthe purpose of shaking the dirt adhering to the potatoes through the grates to the ground, as hereinafter described. The outer ends of the grates D D maybe pivotally supported in. any desired manner in the diggerframe D, as by being secured to transverse rods d as shown in the drawings, the connections being such as to permit the jolting of the grates in the manner described.

K K represent two sprocket-chains, which pass around sprocket-wheels is on shaft E and sprockets k is on a transverse shaft 70 mounted in the digger-frame in rear of the plow F. Thesechains are connected at intervals by transverse bars 70 formed, preferably, of angle-iron, the chains and bars forming an endless conveyer which receives the dirt and potatoes dug up by the plow or scoop F and carries them upward over the grates Dv D where the dirt is shaken from them in the manner described.

At the rear end of the digger-frame is a transversely-disposed horizontal rack L, swung on pivoted hangers Z Z, so as to be capable of a reciprocating motion, the said rack having its bottom composed of slots with openings between them. The potatoes are discharged into the rack L from the conveyer, falling a slight distance, and are then gradually worked along to the delivery end of said rack by the reciprocating motion thereof, thus further removing any particles of earth adhering to them. The rack L may be given a slight inclination, if desired, to facilitate the delivery of the potatoes therefrom.

Adjacent to and below the delivery end of rack L is a platform M, supported from the main frame, on which is placed the box, crate, bag, or other receptacle N into which the potatoes are delivered.

0 represents the main drive-shaft of the machine, which is mounted in suitable bearings in the main frame, and said shaft is provided with a crank 0, connected by a link 0 to a bell-crank 0 pivoted to the rear end of frame A and connected by link 0 to the rack L to impart the reciprocatory motion thereto. The driving-shaft O is also provided with a driving-sprocket 0*, connected by a chain 0 to a sprocket on the shaft E for giving motion to the same to drive the endless carrier K K H. The shaft E is also provided adjacent to the other side with a sprocket 0 connected by a chain 6 with a sprocket if on the tappet-shaft H for driving the latter to give the jolting movement to the grates.

It is obvious that driving-shaft 0 could be driven in various ways, as by gearing from the wheels of the machine; but I have found the best results to be obtained by supplying the power for driving shaft 0 from a source independent of the supporting-wheels, thus relieving the draft-animals of a great portion of the load that would otherwise be upon them. To this end I mount upon the frame A a primary motor, to which the shaft 0 may be connected, which motor may be of any preferred kind. I prefer, however, to employ a gasolene explosion-engine for this purpose, a motor of this type being shown in the drawings.

P represents the engine, Q the gasolenetank, and R the water-tank for the cooling system, said parts being of any preferred or usual construction.

The crank-shaft of the engine is provided with the usual balance-wheel W and with a friction-flange or clutch member 12, said crank-shaft being preferably arranged in axial alinement with the driving-shaft O. The shaft -0 is provided with friction pads or blocks 12 to engage the inner face of the flange 19, said blocks being carried by arms 19 connected by links p to a sliding collar 9* on shaft O, said arms or links being preferably provided with centrifugal-acting balls to assist in bolding said blocks in frictional contact with the flange p when the clutch is thrown into operation. 10 represents the clutch-lever, connected by a yoke with the sliding collar 12*, for throwing the clutch into and out of operation.

In operation the machine is drawn into a potato-field and made to straddle a'row of potato-hills, so that the plow F is in line therewith. The plow is then depressed by means of the hand-lever G to the required depth to dig up the hills. The engine is started and clutched to shaft 0. The machine is then drawn along, and the earth and potatoes will slide up on the plow onto the lower end of grate D when the bars k of the conveyer will take them and carry them along the grates, where the dirt is jolted off of the potatoes. The potatoes are delivered by the conveyer into the rack L, where the remaining portions of earth are rubbed off as they are jarred or shaken toward the delivery end thereof, where the potatoes drop into the box or receptacle N. An operator will follow the machine and remove the receptacle N and replace it by an empty receptacle. A number of empty receptacles may be carried upon the portion of the frame A in rear of the motor.

By relieving the draft-animals from the load of the operating mechanism and providing a separate motor for this purpose the machine can be easily drawn by two horses over the rough and soft soil of a potato-field, where it would be impracticable to operate a machine without this arrangement.

The friction-clutch interposed between the motor and driving shaft enables the operator to start the motor without load, and after it is running properly the clutch is thrown in to couple the motor to the driving shaft. The clutch performs a further function in permitting the motor-shaft to slip with respect to the driving-shaft in case the mechanism, or any part thereof, becomes clogged or blocked, thus preventing the breaking or straining of the parts.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a potato-digging machine, the combination with the main frame, of adigger-frame connected therewith, a pair of movable grates mounted in said digger-frame and arranged end to end, said grates having their outer ends supported by devices stationary with respect to said'digger-framameans for simultaneously jolting the adjacent ends of said grates and means for moving the potatoes longitudinally over said grates, substantially as described.

2. In a potato-digging machine, the combination with the main frame, of a digger-frame connected therewith, a pair of movable grates mounted in said digger-frame and arranged end to end, said grates having their outer ends supported by devices stationary with respect to said digger-frame,means for simultaneously jolting the adjacent ends of said grates and an endless conveyer having a part adapted to be moved longitudinally over said grates whereby said grates are always in contact with said conveyer throughout their entire length, substantially as described.

3. In a potato-digging machine, the combination with the main frame, of a digger-frame connected therewith, apair of movable grates mounted in said digger-frame and arranged end to end, said grates having their outer ends supported by devices stationary with respect to said digger-frame, means for simultaneously jolting the adjacent ends of said grates and an endless conveyer having a part adapted to be moved longitudinally over said grates whereby said grates are always in contact with said conveyer throughout their entire length, a motor mounted upon said main frame, operative connections between said motor and said conveyer and operative connections between said motor and the mechanism for jolting said grates and draft mechanism for said mainframe, substantially as described.

4. In a potato-digger, the combination with the main frame, of a digger-frame connected therewith and provided with movable grates having overlapping portions,-mechanism for imparting vertical motion having parts for engaging the overlapping portions .of said grates to actuate two adjacent grates simultaneously, a scoop connected to said frame and a conveyer having a part passing over said grates, substantially as described.

5. In a potato-digger, the combination with the main frame, of a digger-frame connected therewith, a pair of grates mounted in said digger-frame and having the adjacent ends of their grate-bars overlapping, a tappet-shaft provided with tappets, arms having projections engaging said tappets, devices connected to said arms and engaging the grates adjacent to their overlapping portions, and a conveyer having a part extending over said grates, substantially as described.

6. In a potato-digger, the combination with the main frame, of a digger-frame connected therewith, a pair of grates mounted in said digger-frame and having their adjacent ends overlapping, said digger frame being provided with supports engaging said grates adjacent to their outer ends, a transverse bar extending beneath the overlapping ends of said grates, vertically-disposed tappet-arms connected to said bar, a tappet-shaft, tappets on said shaft for engaging said tappet-arms, and a conveyer having a portion extending over said grates, substantially as described.

7. In a potato-digger, the combination with the main frame, of a digger-frame connected therewith, a pair of grates mounted in said digger-frame and having their adjacent ends overlapping, said digger-frame being provided with supports engaging said grates adjacent to their outer ends,a transverse bar extending beneath the overlapping ends of said grates, vertically-disposed tappet-arms connected to said bar, a tappet-shaft, tappets on said shaft for engaging said tappet-ar'ms, a conveyer having portions extending over said grates, a transversely-arranged shaking-rack located in rear of and below the upper end of said conveyer and provided with a slotted bottom and mechanism independent of the grates, operating mechanism for imparting a transverse shaking motion to said rack, substantially as described.

8. In a potato-digger, the combination with the main frame, provided with supportingwheels and draft mechanism, of a digger-frame mounted in the main frame and provided with vertically-movable grates, a conveyer having portions passing over said grates and a scoop secured to the digger-frame in advance of said conveyer, a motor mounted on the main frame, operative connections between said motor and said conveyer, operative connections between said motor and said grates and a friction-clutch interposed between the motor and said operative connections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM E; LORD.

Witnesses:

R. R. ROBBINS, CHAS. H. SARDs. 

